The Story of the Beast With the Four Dirty Paws
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: "Sure you can't take home an adorable puppy?" Chloe gives Aubrey a hopeful smile. "Sure you can't convince your roommates to adopt an adorable puppy?" Aubrey counters, raising an eyebrow. (AU)


**Disclaimer: **Title comes from the amazing song "Dirty Paws" by Of Monsters and Men that always makes me cry and not just when I'm tired like right which is why I apologize for this run-on disclaimer and any mistakes you might see in this story.

**A/N: **You know this story is for you.

**"The Story of the Beast With the Four Dirty Paws" **

Aubrey Posen is all about routine. Everything has to be just so or it ruins her entire day. She knows this is a problem. The therapist she saw in high school and then unceremoniously dumped once she graduated used to try and coax her out of her rigid need to adhere to routines. But Aubrey doesn't know what's wrong with having a routine. What could possibly be wrong with setting up a series of systems that helps you accomplish things? After all, it served her just fine through college and business school and in her daily life. It just makes sense to her.

One facet of her routine is the morning jogs that she takes through the streets that twist around her apartment building. She loves to leave her apartment when it's still dark and return just as the sun is starting to rise so she ushers in a new day feeling accomplished and ready to tackle whatever challenge comes her way. She also loves seeing the majority of the shops and businesses still closed for the day and the cars cataleptic by the curbs. The city asleep feels like Aubrey's city.

Aubrey puts in her headphones and runs to the beat of the music in her ears. She feels the remnants of sleep fall away, she feels her body waking up, her muscles loosening and her heart beat increasing. She loves running because what else is going to send her heart racing?

There are a few businesses starting to get ready for the day but not many. The employees in charge of opening the coffee shops and bakeries in the morning recognize Aubrey by now and nod or wave to her as she passes and she even spares them a smile or two as she jogs by. Aubrey knows her route by heart; of course she does, it's part of her routine. There are three coffee shops, a dry cleaners, an old record store, a shop that sells sex toys, three office buildings, several vacant properties, two apartment complexes and a bar on her daily route. Not exactly the scenic route but it will do. As she passes the apartment complex, Aubrey nearly runs into someone clearly doing a Walk of Shame. The girl offers a surprised apology but Aubrey just rolls her eyes and keeps on jogging. She doesn't have time for this.

Aubrey is close to the end of her route and is about to turn around and go back the way that she came (which is really frustrating, when you think about it: covering all that ground only to go back again. She's looking for a way to change that) when the sound of shattering glass and someone yelling out a string of curse words brings her to a stop. Normally she doesn't pay much attention to the world around her but the noises were loud enough to be heard over her music and Aubrey's steps falter and she stops.

The sounds came from the alley behind the seedy bar that Aubrey is impressed is still in business. The man who she has come to assume is the owner is standing there among a pile of upended beer cases, which are leaking alcohol all over the cracked pavement. His face is red with anger and Aubrey can't quite figure out if his rage is directed at himself or some unseen employee.

The man picks up one of the unbroken beer bottles, his face reddening. "I thought I told you to get out of here you fucking pain in the ass. Look what you've done now." It's only when he throws the bottle toward the ground that Aubrey realizes that he's actually addressing a cowering puppy. The bottle doesn't hit the dog but it comes close enough to cause the dog to whimper and slink closer to the wall.

In spite of the fact that the puppy is already cowering in terror, the man takes another step toward the animal. Aubrey bristles. "Hey! Stop! You can't do that."

The guy turns to her, surprised. His brow knits when he sees her standing there. "Mind your own business." He grumbles. "This dog just cost me hundreds of dollars in inventory."

Aubrey crosses her arms over her chest. "It's just a puppy. You were probably being careless and not paying attention to where you were going. That doesn't mean you can take it out on a puppy who can't reimburse you in any way." She points out.

Aubrey's logical argument does not seem to sit well with the man. He glowers at her before taking another step toward the puppy, who cringes and sinks lower to the ground. "What are you? Some kind of PETA person or something?"

"No." Aubrey shakes her head. "I don't even like dogs."

"Then mind your own business." The man spits at her again, rolling his eyes. "The way I see it, this dog is on my property, he ruined my shit. I can do whatever I want to him." He reaches for the puppy, grabbing it up by the scruff of the neck.

Aubrey takes a step toward the man. "That's illogical. Put that dog down right now."

The guy rolls his eyes at her. "What are you going to do about it? Just fuck off." He gives the dog a shake, seeming to enjoy the fact that his actions are getting a rise out of someone. Aubrey has known a few people like him, who seek out any attention they can, especially if it's negative attention. She really hates people like him.

Before Aubrey can inform him that she will be calling the PETA people that he mentioned earlier, a high-heeled shoe goes flying over Aubrey's head and toward the barkeep. Though, instead of hitting him, the shoe goes wide and knocks over an overflowing trashcan.

Both the guy and Aubrey turn in the direction of the flying shoe and Aubrey is surprised to see the Walk of Shame girl that she bumped into earlier. She looks completely ridiculous standing there in her rumpled dress and mussed hair with one high heel in hand but she looks righteously pissed and Aubrey is a little impressed.

"Just leave the dog alone, asshole." The girl says, her voice scratchy from too much fun the night before and not enough sleep. "Or you get the other shoe." She holds up the heel tauntingly.

The guy scoffs and rolls his eyes. But he doesn't put the puppy down. "You two make a very intimidating pair." He mutters sarcastically before he turns away, starting to carry the dog to the back entrance of his bar.

"Hey! Somebody!" The redhead shouts at the top of her voice. "There's a guy back here who's going to kill a puppy! Somebody-"

"Okay, okay! Christ!" The guy drops the dog to the ground and the puppy whimpers but quickly limps away. "Take the damn dog." He quickly disappears into his bar.

The girl smiles, looking proud of herself. "Ta da." She winks at Aubrey, who doesn't really know how to respond.

The girl's shouts have attracted the attention of the few people out at this early hour and she starts explaining the situation to the confused and worried onlookers. While she's launching into her story, Aubrey notices the puppy half limping, half crawling in their direction, like he worries about receiving the same treatment from them but is still willing to take that chance. Aubrey sighs, wrinkling her nose. She's not an animal person; she never had a pet growing up and she's never felt the urge to get a dog in her adult years. And, more than anything, she wants to be able to finish her run and go about the rest of her morning routine. But she feels bad for this mangy little puppy, who has clearly had a rough morning.

Aubrey picks up the puppy, instantly regretting the decision when it becomes clear how dirty and disgusting the animal is. He's clearly never been inside a home before and definitely doesn't know the meaning of the word bath. It's also clear that he's never actually had a decent meal because Aubrey can feel his ribs pressing against her skin. And, to top it all off, his right front paw looks twisted and mangled, though she can't tell if it's some old injury or if he was born that way. In short, he's a pretty sad example of the canine species.

"He's so cute!" Clearly, the redheaded Walk of Shame girl doesn't think so. She stops her story when she notices that Aubrey is holding the puppy and she leans in too close in Aubrey's opinion and scratches the dog's head. His tail gives a feeble wag. "You poor, poor baby. I can't believe that mean old man was going to hurt you."

Aubrey tries to pass the puppy to the redhead, sensing the perfect out but she's clueless to Aubrey's efforts and continues to scratch the puppy's head. Aubrey sighs and looks down at the mongrel. She's probably getting fleas right now.

"Whose dog is it?" Questions a girl wearing a Starbucks apron and headset. Aubrey wonders if her workplace knows that she's currently AWOL.

Aubrey gives the girl a blank look. "Obviously he belongs to no one." She says bluntly. "That's why he looks half-dead and was in an alley."

The girl frowns at Aubrey but she hardly cares. Don't ask stupid questions and there won't be a problem.

The redheaded girl smiles at Aubrey, seemingly unbothered by her previous tone of voice. "Are you going to keep him? You totally should, since you saved his life."

Aubrey rolls her eyes. "No, I didn't. And no, I'm not going to keep him. I'm not a dog person." She puts the puppy back down on the ground and wipes her hands on her workout pants.

The dog tries to walk over to one of the spectators but looses his balance because of his paw and falls over. He gets up again and takes another wobbly, hopping step before just sitting down and huffing out a breath.

Apparently the excitement of the puppy rescue has worn off because the group of people start to mutter excuses before drifting off to do whatever they were doing before coming to see what was going on. Either that or the sight of a crippled puppy is too heartbreaking to bear. Aubrey wonders how many people are no longer interested in the dog because he doesn't fit into their perceptions of what an adorable, cuddly puppy should look like. For some reason, that makes her sad. But she tries not to let it get to her because it's just a dog after all and she shouldn't get sad thinking about a dog.

The redhead picks up the puppy and cuddles him against her chest, seeming unbothered by the dirt and mange and sores all over his body. "Poor thing. How could you not want this poor puppy?"

Aubrey arches an eyebrow. "You shouldn't hold it so close. It's probably got a disease." She advises the girl. "And you should also probably get your shoe before you cut your foot and get some sort of infection."

The redhead raises an eyebrow. "You're not a morning person, are you?" She speculates.

"I am most definitely a morning person. I function to the best of my abilities no matter what time of day it is." Aubrey replies. "And I think it's never too early to give someone sensible advice."

Aubrey feels like her job here is done. She saved the dog, she warned the girl against the dangers of holding flea-infested canines and walking around Atlanta without shoes on. She still has time to finish her run and get back to her apartment and shower and be at work on time. She starts to walk away from the girl and the dog but the redhead gives her a quizzical look.

"Wait…that's it? You're just going to leave?" She looks at Aubrey, confused. "You don't want to…" She trails off, looking uncertain. "What about the puppy?"

Aubrey shrugs. "I'm sorry." She says, even though she's not sure that she is. "I have to go to work; I can't be late."

That seems to lessen the other girl's surprise. "Oh, yeah, that makes sense. I actually have the day off today so how 'bout this? I'll take him to the vet and then I'll call you when I have more information. Okay?"

"No, I…" Aubrey starts, shaking her head. She doesn't know how things got twisted around. She doesn't care about the dog…well, it's not that she doesn't care she just…can't worry about that dog. She's done her job. But somehow this girl seems to believe that she should be invested in this puppy's well being. "I…"

Somehow the redhead manages to wrestle her phone out of an impossibly tiny clutch that she has tucked against the crook of her elbow while still holding the puppy close against her chest. "Give me your number and I'll text you. My name is Chloe by the way." She hands over her phone. "What's your name?" Aubrey tells her as she takes the phone for lack of anything better to do. "That's a pretty name. There was a girl in my second grade class named Aubrey but she was a huge bitch. She used to take my crayons and break them."

Aubrey arches an eyebrow. "Why do you still remember that?"

Chloe shrugs. "I have a great memory. As long as you don't ask me what the state capital is." Aubrey gives her a look. "I'm kidding. I swear." Aubrey hands her the phone back and Chloe smiles. "Great. Well, Aubrey, I'll get this little guy taken care of and then I'll call you. Okay?"

Aubrey shrugs. "If you have to." Chloe looks like she can't decide if she's kidding or not so Aubrey decides to help her out by putting her headphones back in and continuing on her jog without another word.

But Aubrey can't concentrate on the sounds of the music or the steady rhythm of her footfalls. Instead she keeps thinking about the puppy and Chloe and she's not sure which takes up the majority of her thoughts. She's never understood people like Chloe, people who seem to think that everyone in the world wants to be their friend and is super friendly and have been waiting for the day when they would finally meet each other. Aubrey is the exact opposite of people like that; she assumes that no one in the world wants to be her friend and she's okay with that. Sure it can get lonely sometimes but it makes it easy to stick to her routines and ensure that she can keep everything exactly the way that she wants it. Meeting Chloe and finding that puppy are definitely not part of her routine.

Aubrey is able to get back to her apartment and shower and get ready for work in plenty of time. She's even early, which is exactly how she prefers things. She gets so much more done without all the other employees there; there's no one gossiping next to her desk or asking her for her help or opinion.

But, for some reason, Aubrey still finds herself thinking about the puppy. Who would threaten and hurt a clearly defenseless animal? Aubrey might not like animals but she most definitely does not like bullies. She had enough of that during her formative years. She doesn't know why she's so fixated on the dog anyway; it was just a mangy, dirty thing. Aubrey makes up her mind to ignore Chloe when she calls or texts because she really doesn't need to know anything more about the puppy. Whatever Chloe decides to do is her own business and she doesn't need to be a part of it.

The day passes on as normal and Aubrey eventually stops thinking about the dog and her unusual morning. As per usual, she finds herself working at the office long after most of the other employees have gone. She's trying to finish up a contract for a merger and she would really like to have the document on her boss's desk when he comes to work the following morning. Aubrey doesn't consider herself a suck-up but she does like to be the best.

The buzzing of her phone startles Aubrey and she looks over at the offending device. She has a text from an unfamiliar number, though she's not at all surprised to find that the message is from Chloe. Who apparently likes to use exclamation marks. _Hey! It's Chloe from this morning! I ended up talking the puppy to Atlanta Vet Clinic and they've checked him out if you want to meet me there. We can talk about what to do with him next! They're open til 8._

Aubrey glances at the clock on her desk and back at the phone. It's a little after seven. She knows where the veterinary center is and it's not far from her place; she could easily- Wait, no. Why is she thinking about this? That dog is not her responsibility. Hasn't she done enough by keeping some testosterone infused bar-owner from strangling it? Plus she has work to do.

Aubrey finishes up the sentence she's typing and shuts off her computer. She can finish at home. There's no harm in checking up on the puppy. Then she'll have officially done her duty as a concerned citizen.

By the time Aubrey walks through the front doors of the Atlanta Vet Clinic, it's nearly eight o'clock and the waiting room is nearly empty. There's only a woman with a toddler and a cat in a carrier and Chloe, who is flipping through an old _People_ magazine. She looks up and smiles when she sees Aubrey walk in. "I didn't think you were coming." She says as she gets up.

Aubrey shrugs. "I almost didn't. I really don't have time to waste on this puppy."

"Wait until you see him now." Chloe says as she walks over to the front desk with Aubrey in tow. "They gave him a bath and some food. He looks almost normal now."

Chloe's assessment of "almost normal" is pretty accurate in Aubrey's opinion. The nurse takes them to the back of the clinic and brings them to one of the cages toward the back of a room full of sleeping dogs and cats. The puppy looks small in the metal cage but he looks less mangy and worthless than he did before. His coat is still patchy in some places but it's free of dirt and his ears are perked up a little higher and his tail wags when he sees Chloe and Aubrey.

Chloe holds the puppy while the doctor explains the litany of problems the puppy has to contend with, including fleas, mange, sores, malnutrition, worms, gum disease and possibly heartworm. Plus his paw, which was apparently run over by a car at some point in his short life and was unable to heal properly due to lack of medical care, leaving him with a permanent limp. Chloe coos to the puppy and cuddles him against her chest as Aubrey listens intently to what the vet has to say. She doesn't know why she's even standing here listening to this; it's not like she's going to see the puppy again after today.

When the vet asks them their plans for taking the puppy home, Chloe glances over at Aubrey, who quickly shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I cannot have a dog. Adopting this dog was never my intention. I have a routine and it does not include a pet." She tells both Chloe and the doctor, nodding to drive home her point. "So you can take him." She assures Chloe.

Chloe gets a guilty look on her face. "Oh…I'm not sure that my roommates would be down with the idea of having a dog." She gives the puppy a sad look. "Our place is kinda small…"

"Well, we can keep him here for a few more days and then we'll turn him over to the shelter." The vet says with a shrug. He gives the puppy a pat on the head. "At least he'll be off the street for a little while."

Aubrey doesn't really like the fatalistic tone of his voice but what can she do? She can't have a dog. Hopefully there's someone out there who will adopt this little puppy.

She and Chloe leave the clinic at the same time and Chloe hesitates before going her own way. "Sure you can't take home an adorable puppy?" She gives Aubrey a hopeful smile.

"Sure you can't convince your roommates to adopt an adorable puppy?" Aubrey counters, raising an eyebrow.

Chloe sighs and shrugs. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, we still did a good deed, I guess."

Aubrey nods. "Yes, that's right." She turns and starts down the sidewalk in the direction of her apartment complex.

"I'll see you around." Chloe says from behind her and even though Aubrey doesn't think so, she still looks over her shoulder and gives the other girl a little wave. She can be nice to strangers from time to time. Consider it her second good deed for the day.

* * *

Aubrey spares a passing thought for the puppy over the next few days but not enough to consider checking up on the dog or adopting him. She just continues on with her routine. She runs the same route and every time she sees the bar owner they both glower at each other but make no attempts at conversation. Which is for the best in Aubrey's opinion.

Three days after Operation Puppy Rescue, Aubrey gets a text from Chloe telling her that the dog has been moved to the Atlanta Animal Shelter, which is, according to Chloe, "like jail for dogs!" Aubrey has never been to an animal shelter (her parents never even entertained the idea of getting a pet) but she's seen a few kids' movies featuring dogs and shelters and they don't exactly seem like the most pleasant of places.

Aubrey decides to pay a visit to the Atlanta Animal Shelter for research purposes. She needs to know if these places are deserving of their horrible reputation or not. Right. It's just research.

The shelter is loud and dirty and smells like wet dog and fur and dirt and did she mention loud? Because it's incredibly loud. All the dogs are barking and howling and running around their cages and jumping up against the chain-link doors and rattling the metal and Aubrey can't help but feel like Chloe was right in her description of the shelter. It is like jail for dogs. Only all the inmates here are on death-row.

Aubrey finds the puppy's cage and he's got seven other puppies running around the space to keep him company. But he doesn't seem interested in playing with them. He's curled up in the corner, his muzzle resting on his mangled paw. It's a pretty sad sight and Aubrey wishes that she hadn't let her curiosity get the better of her. The puppies crowd the cage when Aubrey comes to stand in front of it, except for the puppy that she actually wants to see. She whistles but she doubts that any of the dogs can hear her above the din. Aubrey decides to leave before she can further depress herself.

But, for some reason, she can't keep herself from going back. Aubrey becomes a regular at the shelter. She even buys a box of dog biscuits, which she shares with the other dogs but gives the majority of to the puppy. He gets excited when he sees her and hobbles over to the cage door as soon as she walks up. Aubrey has started calling him Itchy, not that she'd admit that to anyone. One of her favorite movies as a kid was _All Dogs Go to Heaven_ and before she figured out that playing pretend was a waste of time, she used to imagine that she was Anne-Marie and could talk to animals and Charlie and Itchy were her invisible companions. This puppy definitely doesn't look like a Charlie, so Itchy it is.

Visiting the shelter comes another part of Aubrey's routine. Three out of five days, she leaves the office at a normal time and goes to visit Itchy and some of the other canines.

One evening, the woman behind the front desk remarks, "You're here almost as much as that other lady. I can't believe you guys never run into each other."

Aubrey looks at her quizzically. "What other lady?"

The woman behind the counter shrugs. "She's got red hair…she visits the same puppy that you do but, just like you, she never adopts him." Somehow the woman manages to sound judgmental and informative at the same time.

Chloe. Of course. Aubrey feels a little better thinking about Chloe paying visits to little Itchy because that means that he at least has come companionship when she doesn't stop by.

One day, Aubrey notices that some of the puppies are missing and after she's done visiting with Itchy, she asks the lady behind the counter about them. "Yeah, they've been adopted." She says with a smile. "We usually get rid of puppies pretty quickly. Everyone loves puppies."

Aubrey raises an eyebrow. "Itch…that puppy has been there for almost two weeks." She points out, hoping the woman didn't notice her slip.

The lady shrugs and shakes her head. "I think it's his foot. No one wants a dog that can't run and play, especially not a puppy. It's sad; we see stuff like that all the time. Same with the older dogs that come in; they almost always get put down because people don't want a dog that's already grown up."

Aubrey frowns, her brow knitting. "That's not fair." She mumbles, glancing back toward the hallway toward the kennels. She has the urge to go back and give Itchy an extra biscuit and assure him that his time will come.

"No, it's not." The woman says with another shrug. "It's sad when we have to put a dog down just because he doesn't fit the bill of what people are looking for."

All night, Aubrey finds herself thinking about the woman's words. She never considered the possibility that Itchy could be put down. He's just a little puppy and really there's nothing wrong with him other than his paw. And it's not like he can't walk, he just does it a little differently than other dogs. That doesn't mean he's not perfect. Aubrey frets over this all night and the following day and decides to break her routine and visit Itchy that afternoon.

Aubrey is surprised to find that Chloe is already playing with Itchy when she gets to the cage and the smile that Chloe gives her is a mixture of delight and surprise. "I wondered if you ever came to visit him."

"I usually come on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays." Aubrey replies. "But today I'm making an exception." She doesn't know why she's telling Chloe this. Chloe doesn't care about her routine. Aubrey's a nervous talker. Why is she nervous? She never gets nervous.

Chloe picks up the puppy and hands him to Aubrey. He licks Aubrey's chin and cheeks and wiggles around in her arms, clearly excited to see her. Aubrey gives him one of the treats and he starts wagging his tail so fast that he nearly falls out of her arms.

"Isn't he cute?" Chloe questions, scratching the puppy behind the ears. "It makes me sad to think of him in here by himself."

Aubrey nods. "The woman who works here doesn't think that he's going to be adopted." She tells Chloe. "She says that people don't usually like messed up dogs."

Chloe's brow knits and she reaches for the puppy, cradling him protectively against her chest. "He's not messed up." She kisses the top of his head. "Are you?"

"I mean because of his foot." Aubrey clarifies. She doesn't think Itchy is messed up either. She doesn't think it would be a bad idea to have a dog like him around.

Chloe continues to snuggle him. "Poor puppy." He licks her face enthusiastically. "You just need to find someone to understand you, don't you?" She coos. Chloe looks up at Aubrey. "So you've been coming for the past two weeks?" Aubrey nods. "Have you named him? Be honest. I've been calling him Lucky."

Aubrey shrugs and looks down at her feet. "I've been…I think…Itchy." She feels like an idiot admitting that she's calling a dog that isn't even hers after some old cartoon character.

Chloe smiles. "Like _All Dogs Go to Heaven_, right?" Aubrey looks up, surprised. "I used to love that when I was a kid."

"Yeah, me too." Aubrey admits.

"I think it suits him." Chloe grins and Aubrey wonders what it is about that simple gesture that makes her want to smile too. Apparently it's not just running that can get her heart racing after all.

They stay and play with Itchy for a while and Chloe talks a little bit about her own daily routines, which are not nearly as structured as Aubrey's and asks Aubrey questions about her own life that Aubrey forces herself to give actual answers to instead of the normal one or three word responses that she tries to get away with when anyone else tries to pull her into conversations.

When they finally leave, Chloe says, "Maybe we'll run into each other again. Since we've clearly both been visiting the little guy."

Aubrey nods. "Yeah, maybe."

It's only after she's back home that she realizes that she should have made actual plans to see Chloe again. Isn't that what most people would have done? She's more surprised to realize that she actually regrets not making those plans.

Especially because somehow Aubrey misses seeing Chloe every time she goes to visit Itchy. It's both frustrating and slightly amusing. Clearly the universe (or whatever) is conspiring against her if she manages to miss her every. Single. Time. Even the woman behind the front desk finds this amusing.

A week goes by with her seeing Itchy but not Chloe. Aubrey notices most of the puppies in Itchy's cage get adopted and replaced with new puppies, because there is definitely no shortage of unwanted animals. The same goes for the grown dogs in the shelters as well. She stops seeing some of the familiar faces and instead sees new, equally destitute faces in their place. Aubrey tries not to think about what that means for Itchy because it still seems unreasonable to consider the idea that someone wouldn't want to adopt this sweet little puppy.

"Why don't you just adopt him?" The woman behind the counter asks one Friday when Aubrey comes in. Unfortunately, Chloe is nowhere to be found. "You're here almost everyday. Or convince that other girl to adopt him. Aren't you getting tired of coming here?"

"I'm not sure that owning a dog would be conducive to my lifestyle." Aubrey tells her frankly. "I have a routine and dogs require a lot of attention."

The woman just shakes her head. "Okay, whatever you say. But…" She hesitates before continuing. "I feel like I have to tell you this. Things aren't looking good for your friend. We're getting too much puppies and we don't have enough room for all of them so…"

Aubrey's brow knits. "What are you suggesting?"

"Usually the dogs that have been here the longest are the first to go when we have to make room." The woman tells her gently. "I understand if you don't feel like you can adopt him. Owning a dog isn't for everyone. But I just want you to know in case you show up one day and he's not there."

Aubrey lets the woman's words sink in. She feels a knot in her chest that makes it hard to breathe. She can't bring herself to go visit Itchy. Instead, she just walks out of the shelter and heads straight home. She considers texting Chloe but can't bring herself to send the message. For some reason the idea of spreading such sad news doesn't sit well with Aubrey. Besides, there's nothing she can do to change the outcome, so what's the point? Aubrey has tried to live her life by refusing to dwell on things that she can't change.

Aubrey decides to break her routine once more and skips the next set of weekly visits to the shelter. What's the point? If Itchy is just going to be gone one day than why should she bother going to visit him?

This is the idea that Aubrey sticks by until Saturday morning when she goes on her usual run and passes about fifteen people out walking with their dogs. The dogs are jogging along, looking all jaunty and happy and like such good companions and she realizes that these are the types of dogs that people want to get from the shelter. Itchy doesn't stand a chance. She would never be able to take Itchy on a run like this. He would never be able to keep up. But that doesn't mean that he wouldn't fit into other aspects of her routine. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to take leisurely afternoon strolls after work or have a little puppy hanging around her feet while she's working on stuff for work.

So, Aubrey comes home from her run, showers, changes and heads to the shelter. The building is much more crowded than she's used to seeing it during the week; apparently most of the Atlanta population has decided that Saturday is the day to adopt a dog.

Unfortunately, no one is sparing Itchy a second glance. Most of the other puppies in his cage are gone, being played with in the visiting rooms or in the fenced-in backyard area. Itchy does his weird hop-skip dance of excitement when he sees Aubrey and wags his tail so hard that he looses his balance and falls over.

Aubrey picks up the puppy and laughs when he wiggles in her arms and starts licking her chin. Maybe having a dog isn't such a horrible idea after all.

Before Aubrey can further contemplate being a puppy guardian, she feels someone tap her on the shoulder and she turns around to find herself face to face with Chloe. "Hello stranger." The redhead says. "I haven't seen you around recently."

Aubrey shrugs. "I…I was busy." She lies. It seems stupid to try and explain the real reason that she didn't want to visit Itchy.

Chloe smiles at her and Aubrey feels that knot in her chest, the one that's been there for days, finally begin to loosen. Why is that?

"So what convinced you to come back today?" Chloe questions, reaching out to pet Itchy. Aubrey hands him over before Chloe even has to ask.

Once again, Aubrey shrugs. Apparently more than four years of college classes have given her the tools she needs to make business deals and presentations but have rendered her incapable of speaking to one single person.

"I think…I was thinking about adopting Itchy." Aubrey tells her. "That front desk lady said that he probably wasn't going to have to find a home and he was going to be put down and I figured that I could…I really didn't have any reason not to…I was thinking about adopting him." Yep, she sounds like an idiot. Great. She really needs to work on her people skills. Otherwise known as things that have never been important to Aubrey Posen before.

The expression on Chloe's face is unreadable. It shifts between surprise to amusement to disappointment and something that Aubrey can't even put her finger on. Something that she doesn't quite have the words for.

"Oh. I was…I was actually thinking the same thing." Chloe says with a little smile. "I was going to just tell my roommates to deal with it and adopt him." She laughs slightly and shakes her head. "Isn't that funny? Great minds think alike I guess."

Aubrey smiles and nods. "Yeah, I guess that is funny. I mean…you can…if you want…"

"No, you can…"

But neither of them sound completely committed to the idea of letting the other person adopt him. Aubrey hates to admit that she's grown attached to the idea of taking Itchy home. Twenty-four hours ago she was still completely against the idea of having a dog. Now the idea of not having Itchy makes her just the tiniest bit upset. Okay, more than the tiniest bit. Chloe looks like she feels the same way. Aubrey's father was in the military. She's never had a hard time understanding the term 'impasse.'

Chloe gets a thoughtful look on her face as she pets Itchy's back. His fur is finally starting to grow in so he's starting to look more and more like a normal dog. Aubrey has no idea what type of dog he is, if he's going to be big or small or what breed he might be. But that doesn't really seem to matter by this point.

Suddenly, Chloe's face brightens and she smiles at Aubrey. "I have an idea. Go with me on this: what if we have like a joint custody situation. We'll split the adoption fee and the vet bills and he can take turns coming to our apartments and we can meet up a few times during the week to take him on walks so he gets to know both of us. That way we both can adopt him. Sort-of." Chloe suggests, nodding enthusiastically. "What do you think?"

It doesn't take Aubrey long to figure out all the possible flaws in this plan. It sounds like one of the ideas that works really well in theory but is harder to carry out in practice. All sorts of things could go wrong. But there are at least a few positive things about that idea too. Mainly the excited look on Chloe's face and the fact that they would both get to take Itchy home (in a way) and not have to worry about which one didn't get to adopt him. Aubrey can see another pro but she's not sure that she's allowed to give voice to it, even internal voice.

Aubrey smiles and nods. "Okay, I think…that could work."

Chloe grins and kisses Itchy on the top of his head. "You hear that little guy? You don't have to stay in this place any longer." Itchy wags is tail and wiggles around like he understands exactly what she's saying. And maybe he does.

"So," Chloe continues, "if we're going to be co-dog parents, I guess that means we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other." She gives Aubrey a shy smile.

Aubrey nods and hopes that Chloe doesn't notice the way that her cheeks are turning pink. She doesn't mind hearing the thoughts in her head spoken out loud though.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"We could always start right now." Chloe suggests. "Maybe have lunch. Or take Itchy on a walk around the park. What do you think Itchy?" She questions the wiggly puppy. "Does that sound like a good idea?" She laughs when he licks her face. "I think he likes that idea."

Aubrey can't stop the grin from spreading across her face. "I like that idea too."

**end. **


End file.
